The widow of a sheriff’s deputy who was gunned down within the line of responsibility warned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz he was not welcome to the funeral due to his remedy of cops — threatening to kick his “ass out” if he dared present up.
Shannon Owen instructed Kamala Harris’ working mate that he was not welcome on the companies of her husband, Josh Owen, an Iraq veteran and Pope County Sheriff Deputy who was shot and killed whereas engaged on his forty fourth birthday in April 2023.
“You’ve got by no means been a supporter of the police and I’d simply admire it when you simply don’t come anyplace close to my city,” she warned Walz in a recording obtained by the Telegraph.
“And he’s like ‘Why is that?’ And I stated ‘Since you defunded the police. You don’t even assist the police, why would I would like you to return?’” the widow stated, stressing that her husband “didn’t like him in any respect.”
The widow then warned Walz that if he did present, she would “be sure that I escort your ass out of right here.”
Sounding flustered, Walz responded: “I completely perceive and respect your rights. Our officers are right here to assist you in any method you want,” earlier than the decision abruptly ended, the Telegraph famous.
The governor didn’t go to the funeral.
The slain deputy’s widow believes Walz is unfit to be the following vp, claiming he’s placing on a “good man” persona to win voters.
“I don’t like the best way he’s with the cops’ state of affairs, the army state of affairs. I simply really feel he’s a puppet proper now. He’s not truly talking about what he actually needs to do,” she instructed the UK paper.
Josh Owens was killed whereas responding to a home violence name on April 15, 2023. As he tried to arrest the suspect, the person drew a gun and shot him 4 occasions.
The 12-year Nationwide Guard vet served a two-year tour of Iraq in 2006 along with his Minnesota unit — the identical unit Walz had controversially stop in 2005 earlier than his personal deployment.
Owens had been planning to stop the power proper earlier than he died, stated his widow, who recalled how she “simply screamed” when she and her 10-year-old son, Rylan, had been instructed about his demise.
The cop was upset with regulation enforcement reforms put in place after the demise of George Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis Police in 2020, sparking nationwide protests.
Walz, who’s now the Democrat’s vice presidential candidate, made a number of makes an attempt to contact the widow, however she resisted as she knew her husband was not a fan of the brand new restrictions he’d put in place for police that he felt made officers’ jobs extra harmful.
At some point, she lastly accepted his name on speakerphone with a member of the family recording.
“I took the telephone name. I didn’t say a lot. I simply let him ramble as a result of that’s what politicians do,” she instructed the Telegraph.
“I stated: ‘Are you planning on coming to the funeral’ and he stated: ‘After all I’d be honored to return’ and I stated: ‘Properly you’re not welcome’. And he’s like ‘Why is that?’ And I stated ‘Since you defunded the police. You don’t even assist the police, why would I would like you to return?’
“And Josh didn’t like him in any respect. And that may have been his needs to not have any corrupt politicians there.
“He [Walz] was a little bit bit blindsided on that and didn’t know what to say. I simply stated: “And when you present as much as my city I do know all people in my hometown will escort you out as a result of I don’t need you right here.”
After George Floyd’s demise, Walz signed a invoice that banned choke-holds and mandated officers report and intervene when fellow officers’ use extreme power.
He additionally established a state investigation unit for cops in addition to a database for police misconduct. In 2023, he signed a invoice limiting no-knock warrants.
Walz “went too far” in introducing reforms publish Floyd’s demise, Shannon stated.
“After that every thing was in opposition to the cops, defunding the cops,” she instructed the paper — though Walz has not been supportive of the “Defund the Police” trigger.
Walz’s workplace did launch a public assertion on the time of Josh’s demise during which he hailed the deputy as a “hero.”
Greater than 4 years later, Republicans have blasted Walz as a left-wing radical who was too gradual to behave — whereas some progressives declare he was not radical sufficient in addressing police abuses.